A Defense of our Arguments Against Kneeling in Receiving the Lords Supper, Defense 17 – Defense 19
Defence of our seventeenth Argument.
WEE say that in the act of receiving the Saciamentall elements; we should meditate, and consider the analogie of the signe, and the things signified; attend with our minds, exercise our senses, because of the externall Symbols, and rituall actions, wherabout they are employed; and that it is not a fit time of solemne prayer, and thankesgiving, and consequently that in the ect of receiving wee should not kneele. He formeth his second Argument flat contrariwise in this manner. In worshipping God with solemne prayer and thankes giving we may lawfully kneele. In the act of receiving the Sacrament wee worship GOD with solemne prayer and thankes giving. Ergo, in the act of receiving the Sacrament we may lawfully kneele. We deny the assumption, for the reason already alledged, to wit, that it is not a fit time of solemne prayer and thanks giving when men have their outward senses, and members of their bodies outwardly, and the powers of their soule inwardly otherwise employed. He proveth his assumption, both here, and in his second Argument after this manner: We should meditate on Christs death; We cannot remember of his death, except we remember also that by his death life commeth unto us; we cannot remember of this, without remembrance of our own misery. The remembrance of our miserie ministreth matter of prayer: Therfore the remembrance of Christs death causeth prayer and thanks giving: praver, that by his death we may have life; thanksgiving, for the benefit of redemption. Ye see the whole force of his reason dependeth upon the duty of remembrance of Christs death. Now Becanus the Iesuit saith qDe communione sub utra que specie cap. 12.That divers wayes we may remember of the benefit of redemption, which Christ hath conquered to us by his death. First, in participation of the Sacrament of the Enchartist: Next, in reading the Gospell, where his death and passion is described. Thirdly, at the sight of an Image, which representeth him and his Passion. If therfore at the sight of a Crucifixe the Doctor be put in remembrance of Christs death, should he blot out so good a thing out of his mind? If not, how then can he remember of Christs death, but he must also remember of his miserie, & the benefite gotten by his death, and so burst forth in that very time, and act (for so doth he reason) into prayer, and that kelgiving. To say, that we are forbidden to performe that duty before a crucifix, is to grant that we ought not, and lawfully may not bow down, whensoever we remember of Christs death: And it we may not doe it before a ciucifix, by his own grant, we say we may not do it, when there is any other, or the like impediment, as there are many. For howbeit we remember of Christs death when we are most busied in our worldly affaires, yet we must not burst forth into lelemne prayer and thanks-giving. When the historie of the Passion is read, we are put in remembrance of his death; and yet in the act of hearing that Hysto…e read, we must not burst forth in solemn prayer and thanksgiving, and kneele; but he that hath eares to he are ought to heare. In the act of receiving the sacramentall elements there is like wise impediments, that we may not burst forth in solemne prayer and thanksgiving, and kneele in the very act it selte of receiving. First, the solemne prayer and thanks-giving …ar not co…sill with our other imployments of the senses and members of the body, and powers of the soule. Next, we cannot adore before a creature, how beit consecrated. For as we have sayd, the elements are not ordained of God to be used in statu acccmmodato ad adorationem, to that endtnat wee should pray on our knees to God before them. When the crucifix, or any other image is condemned in the second commandement, all other creatures for the like use are condemned. He saith, if a man fall down on his knees where the Idoll is, praying against the idolatry committed in that place, no man seeing him to take offence: or if he will turne his face from the Idoll he doeh not unlawfully. He doth unlawfully three wayes. First, in that be kneeleth where he needeth not to kneele; for kneeling is not a necessary a…ant on prayer. Next in that he cast th…lfe into a temptation wilfully; for the Lord hath forbidden worship before Images, not onelyonly publique, as if it were to eschew scandall; but also in private, because they are dangero is provocations, and enticements to idolany. … a man should go and lye down in the bed with the Hariot, and give her the defiance, hee sinneth notwithstanding. Thirdly, in so doing, he were but playing the foole, and offering but the sacrifice of a soole, how beit he had a Doctors hood. But wee vvill not insist in this instance of his, seeing it is not pertinent to our purpose; for vve are novv speaking of a publike and voluntatie vvorship vvithout any protestation contrarie to our fact. Against the impediment of our senses, and thoughts othervvise employed in the act of receiving, he object▪ th… that the minde may comprehend divers things together, and that the heart may be touched vvith divers affections at one time. There is no man doubteth of this, it being taken in a right sense. For the soul of man hath sundry povvers and faculties, vvhichwhich concurre to the mutuall help of other: one povver removing impediments out of the vvay, that another povver may vvork the ovvn operation the more easily: one power being subordinate to another; and the superiour by some influence applying the inferiour to some worke. Sundry and divers powers of the soule, and Christian graces, are working together in our religious exercises. But our question is not of one action, or exercise, but whether the same power of the soule at one time, and yet durable, work in divers actions, and exercises. The Schoolemen dispute concerning Christ, whether in reaching and giving the bread to the disciples, hee did both offer a sacrifice, uttering the words of consecration, as they call them, and reach to them the bread, without any distraction of minde. They say, that not, Physica duratione, & concomitantia metaphysica, sed mor…li tantum, that he first uttered the words and offered, before he gave the bread in their hands, and there was two actions one succeeding another according to physicall consideration, howbeit morally both made but one action. There is in the act of receiving presupposed two actions, one of mentall prayer, another of communicating, that is, taking, eating, drinking. Mentall prayer is either a short ejaculation of the soule, which endureth for a moment, and is called by the Divines, transitoria vel jaculatoria oratio: or else it is durable and permanent, and is called oratio continua. As for the first, there is no action so laborious, or earnest, or worldly, let be religious, but it may consist with it, without distraction of the soule from that action, Etiam in medio strepitu, & clamore hominum, In the midst of the noyse and clamours of men, saith lHom. 79. ad populu….Chrysostome. For these momentanean, and transient acts require not permanent attention. Not onelyonly momentanean petitions, but every godly motion, and elevation of the mind, is called by the divines, by this name of mentall prayer. These require not, nor cannot, because of the action with which they are mixed, have geniculation to attend them. For geniculation during for a certaine time must attend upon a permanent action of prayer, and not upon a transient, This transitorie ejaculation may, and doth consist with the taking of the Sacramentall elements, eating, and drinking, seeing it may, and doth consist with all other our actions, even taking, eating, drinking, at our common meales. It is the permanet action of mentall prayer which we deny, can consist with the act of receiving, eating, drinking. The understanding cannot in one continued act be employed in a continued operation, about another action during the same time without distraction, and consequently without unreverent behaviour.
If a man were speaking to a Prince, and mind all that time another thing, if it were possible, it were unreverent behaviour especially if his behaviour were manifested by some outward signes, and employment about other actions, howbeit otherwayes commendabl…. Our opposites must either confesse, that during that act of receiving, eating, drinking I mean not onelyonly the soule, but one power of the soule, As for example the intellectuall faculty is exercised by a permanent operation in the action of prayer during the time of their geniculation, and also at the same time, the same faculty of the understanding is exercised by a permanent operation in another action, considering the analogy of things sensible with things invisible, according as the symbols, and every rite ministreth occasion of meditation, which is the carefull inquisition of the soule. And so confesse that they doe both a thing unpossible, and unseemly, or els, that one action succeedeth another, and that geniculation is in respect of both, which is idolatry. Yee suppose the first were supposed to be true and possible, that both the permanent actions must consist together, yet were it also idolatry. For mentall prayer should be concealed at all times in publick, and ought not to be expressed by signes and gestures of prayer outwardly: farre lesse in the place, where it cannot be done without idolatry, or a shew of idolatry: for otherwise the three children might have bowed before the golden image: and Nehemias, when hee stood before the King.
Defence of our eightenth Argument.
KNeeling bringeth in a private worship, during the time, and act of another worship, which is publick. He telleth us of the abuses of some places. For it is no good, and comely order, that whilest others are communicating apart, and the minister speaking to them, chapters should be read▪ & P…lms song by the congregation, but the mi…er ought first to d…si… from speaking. Wala…dus Strabo saith, sDe rebus ecclesiast cap 22. Cum ver… credamus pris…s temporibus patres sanctos cum si…entio obtul sse, vel cōmunicasse … quod e…m hactenus in Sabbatho sancto pasc…ae observamus.We beleev, that of old …he … fathers did offer, and communicate with s…ence; which we yet observe upon Easter Saturday. Howb…t all cannot conven…ntly communicate at one table, yet when others do communicate, and reap their private and particular fruit, the action should be so ministred, that s…me publick fruit may in the mean time re…ound to others who have not, or have already communicated.
Defence of our ninteenth Argument.
WE are bound by our oath to keepe the purity of our profession, both in doctrine, and policie, and to withstand to the uttermost, all corruptions …n…d by our K…k, either in the first or second confession of faith, the first or second …ook of discipline, acts of parliament, and …cts of generall assemblies, under the danger of damnation in the fearfull day of iudgement. Let the temporizer and the formalist keep the next Christmas with this fearfull execration. Discipline is changed, and the forme of government to another kinde of policy, and not acts of circumstances onelyonly. Our oath was not made of matters indifferent, but of things unlawfull; and suppose indifferent, yet not as indifferent, but as scandalous, dangerous, and apt to provoke to superstition and idolatry. The oath is handled already at large in Perth Assembly.